Nearly a third of influencers regularly promote charities

Nearly one third of social media influencers regularly support charities on their channels, according to new research by influencer marketing platform Buzzoole, which has 200,000 influencers on its platform. Three quarters (74%) of influencers said that raising awareness of the causes they care about was a key priority for them; also important for influencers is sharing their own personal experiences (87%) and helping people (61%).

Buzzoole, which works to harness the power of long-tail influencers, surveyed its own network of influencers for the research. Of the 60 UK based respondents, a large majority (92%) have volunteered time to work for a charity, with almost a third (28%) doing so every month.

Close to half of influencers taking part in the survey share charity-related material on their social media channels, with 45% of respondents having written posts about charities. 32% of influencers revealed that they have shared information about charities on Facebook, while 42% have participated in a viral photo story, such as a no-make up selfie or activities like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

Children’s and cancer charities were the most popular charities to write about – coming in at 19% and 21% respectively.

Fabrizio Perrone, CEO and co-founder, Buzzoole, said: “It’s great to see that so many influencers are motivated by awareness-raising. Influencer marketing is an effective way to reach people as audiences are genuinely interested in what the people they follow have to say, so it naturally goes hand-in-hand with spreading a message. As the industry continues to expand, influencer marketing is set to be a powerful force for good. “

Victoria Luck, managing director, Buzzoole UK, said: “We interact with influencers for a whole range of different reasons. But ultimately, we identify with them because of the real-life, personal stories they tell. The authenticity that influencer marketing hinges on presents an excellent opportunity for the charity sector. And as this survey shows, influencers already have charitable causes close to their heart.

Millennials, who make up the bulk of social media influencers, are often considered not to support charities, this research blows that stereotype out of the water. These are passionate, giving people, devoted to ‘their’ charities.“